True to form (unfortunately), it has been nearly a year since the last chapter, my sincerest apologies. This is a slightly longer one, as some mild form of recompense. Also a cheesey one, and even just a bit spicey ;) Excitingly enough, I found a really cool resource to help with Khuzdul, as Aris learns more of it-The Dwarrow Scholar. Currently, I am only using this resource for some very basic Khuzdul, so any cultural or other details are not from here and are instead largely me cobbling together stuff from the books, the movies, fanfic canon, and my own brain. Enjoy! And as always, thank you so much for reading, reviewing, and following, it is what inspires me to keep chipping away at this story :)

"Thorin Oakenshield," I whispered, then leaned up against him to press my lips to his neck, "You consume me. Every glance, every touch, every rumble of your voice in your chest," one hand drifted down, pressing flat against his sternum, "Every breath you take pulls me into you like some inexorable certainty: I am yours."

"Aris," he groaned, shuddered, and gripped me tighter, tangling one hand in my hair and using it to pull my head back so he could look me in the eye, lips just brushing mine, "You make me burn."

I shivered, goosebumps breaking out all across the back of my neck and down my arms. Holy shit holy shit holy shit. I just stared at him, breath stuck in my throat. He thought he was burning? Burning hot maybe (yes, yes I know but I don't have a brain right now). Everywhere he touched me felt like a live wire sparking across my skin. I whined, and kissed him.

Kissing him was like nothing I'd ever felt before, and yes I know it sounds cliche, but literally it was leagues better than any other kiss I'd had. He nibbled at my lower lip, then sucked it between his teeth, worrying at it as he tugged gently at my hair with one hand, and traced down my side with the other. He plucked at the laces on the front of the leather vest I was wearing, deftly undoing them even as I scraped my fingernails gently at the crease of his neck and collar of his tunic, enjoying the way his muscles twitched and shivered. My neck began to protest, cricked as it was with my sideways position on his lap, so I shifted, breaking the kiss to rearrange myself so I straddled him, knees tucked around his waist and pressed against him chest-to-chest.

I couldn't help myself, and rocked ever-so-slightly against him, heat sparking and quivering all the way out to my extremities. He gasped and arched, then grasped my hips and held me still.

"Aris."

Maybe whining, maybe scolding. I laughed breathlessly and grinned. "What?"

He leaned forward and pulled me flush against him, his lips brushing my ear, and growled. "You tempt me, amrâl, to the very limits of my self-control."

It was my turn to groan and shudder, and I bit down on his shoulder to muffle a gasp.

He chuckled, and the hands on my hips teased up under the hem of my tunic, callous-rough fingertips on the bare skin of my belly rippling shivers all the way up my scalp.

Eventually, we had to go get the others. It was still late, we were still on the road, and we still had an early day of it tomorrow. Saying it was difficult to pull away from him would be like saying trolls are big; just so inadequate. But eventually, slowly, we transitioned from deep kisses and wandering hands to chaste pecks and fingertips mapping faces to our foreheads resting against each other, one of his hands on the back of my neck, the other woven in the hair by my temple, my hands fisted in his lapels. Just sharing breath, just sharing space.

After a moment of sitting so, Thorin chuckled and shook his head slightly. I quirked an eyebrow in question, but couldn't help grinning in response. Something about his joy was always just so… infectious. Especially in this moment.

"Such a short time," he murmured, "And yet you have so changed not only myself, but all of us. Truly, Aris Dwalindottïr, you are sent from Mahal." As he spoke, he pulled back just enough to watch as he ghosted his fingertips across the contours of my face. A certain wonder in his expression that made me blush.

"It goes both ways, you know?" My words hardly more than a whisper. "The me that tripped into the Trollshaws feels lifetimes ago, now. I could have never imagined…" I trailed off, then reached up to finger one of the beads in his beard. "Sometimes, I still feel that I am dreaming."

Holy shit I'm actually touching his hair. I forced down the somewhat hysterical thought. You literally already braided it, you dingbat.

"Aye. And I wish to never wake."

His agreement hung between us for a long moment, cradled in the heated space between our chests, meager though that space may be. Still perched in his lap, I could feel every inch of him: hard muscles in his thighs, the hot bulge between his legs, each twitch and breath shifting the solid plane of his abdomen, the sturdy weight of his arms against my sides. He was warm too, warmer, I think, than humans are, and the heat soaked into my skin as if perched near a fire. It complemented the warmth still pooling at the junction of my own legs, the hyperawareness of each point of contact between us, and the intimacy of the moment, doing nothing to cool my arousal, despite no longer making out, and the knowledge that the moment really had to come to an end.

Eventually, I sighed and pitched forward to tuck my face into his neck. "Neither do I." I whispered it against his skin, as if an illicit sort of wish. But really I was just afraid-afraid that what came next would be that awakening, and that waking up would be a nightmare worse than any I could dream up. We were less than a week-by my calculation-from the events of Goblin-town, and all that spiraled from that. "Neither do I."

"Whatever comes next," Thorin's voice rumbled through me from where our collarbones pressed together, and I curled my fingers more securely into his beard. "Whatever has you so anxious, we face it together Amrâlimê, partner of my soul."

The vow sank into me, as if branded on my very bones, and I couldn't suppress the shiver that skittered down my spine. I pulled back to press my forehead to his, bringing my hands up to cup his face. "Together. So help me Mahal."

Thorin smiled softly and brought one hand up to cup my face in turn, tightening the other around my waist. "So help us. Mahal willing."

"Aye." It was my turn to smile softly. I tilted my head forward to press a soft kiss to the corner of his mouth, lingering there. "Us."

With a brief tilt of his own head, Thorin slotted our lips together fully in a slow, achingly intimate kiss. I didn't even notice how I canted my hips into his in response until he pulled away with a groan, hands going to my hips to hold me still, eyes closed and head thumped back against the rock. "Amrâlimê. Mahal."

It was my turn to chuckle. "Sorry love, you're irresistible."

He huffed, opening his eyes just enough to roll them at me. "Minx."

"You think this is being a minx?" I grinned slyly, then leaned forward slowly, trailing my hands down his chest, then stomach, toying with the waistband of his trousers as I fetched up against him. I arched my back to increase the contact, then licked a stripe up his neck to his ear as I rolled my hips forcefully forward and against his. "Darling, I haven't even gotten started."

Thorin's hips stuttered up in a sort of aborted thrust, breath catching in his throat, before he suddenly heaved, and I found myself flat on my back on the ground, pinned by his weight between my legs and the heat in his expression and growl rumbling in his chest. Automatically, I gasped and tried to arch into him, head back, eyes hooded, and hands floundering above my head. His hands on my hips held me down.

He rumbled something deep and dark in Khuzdul, and I bit my lip to hold back a whimper. Jesus fucking Christ.

…Then I blushed harder than I probably ever have in my life. What the fuck, Ar? What? Regardless of his-apparently positive-response, what the fuck was I thinking?

The moment thoroughly broken by my sudden embarrassment, Thorin laughed and leaned down to rest his forehead on my chest, chuckles shaking his whole frame. This was supremely unhelpful, though, because each shake of laughter sparked awareness of our position, sending curls of pleasure along my skin and preventing me from reassembling the mush my brain had turned into.

I whined, and found myself trying to arch up again, despite best efforts otherwise. He pulled back to look down at me then, his eyes hooded and a smile playing across his lips. Taking his hands off my hips, he settled more firmly against me, leaning up to bracket my head with one forearm on the ground, and the other hand reaching up to pin down my hands where they still rested above my head.

Holy fuck.

I squeaked, blushing impossibly harder and staring up at him with wide eyes. Every nerve end on fire.

Holy fuck holy fuck holy fuck.

He leaned down to brush his lips over my ear. "Two can play that game, amrâl, are you sure you want to?"

I think I tried to say words, but all that came out was a sort of breathless whine. He chuckled again, and pressed a kiss to my neck, then another to the corner of my mouth. "Come, we must collect ourselves, before your father storms back over here to make sure we are not getting carried away."

I grimaced, arousal immediately ebbing. "Yeah, nope. I think I'd actually die of embarrassment."

"And he would blame me for your demise, thus sealing my own fate." Thorin laughed and rose smoothly, rolling back onto his knees then up, pulling me along with the hand still clasped around my wrists. I blinked, and resisted the urge to make a sound.

Fuck, I'm so incredibly screwed. How is he so unfairly hot? The strength of this dwarf. I mean, I knew I had a thing for muscles, but seriously?

For a moment, we stood chest to chest while I stared at him. Then I cleared my throat and stepped back, blushing and ducking my head. "Uh, so," Casting around desperately for something to say, my eyes fell on our bedrolls, and I remembered noting their odd position together and off to the side. I gestured to them, "So what's the, uh, the protocol, with everything?"

Way to be awkward with your fiance, genius.

Holy shit Thorin's my fiance.

…Thorin is my fiance. Holy fucking Mahal.

Suddenly, Thorin's hand was on my chin, turning my face back to him, instead of our bedrolls. He was looking at me expectantly. "Uh, sorry, what?" His brow furrowed, lips pulling down a little, and I scrambled to clarify, "Processing! I mean, fiance! I mean, you, me," I flailed a little, gesturing between us. I slumped and regarded him a bit helplessly. "This is actually real?"

It was his turn to blink at me, his hand falling away from my face, and I groaned and facepalmed. "I'm such a nutcase. I mean, the, the," I flailed, "Surealness is gone and it's suddenly hitting me that this is really real and I don't know what I'm doing and I want to do it right and Jesus Christ most of our courting is going to happen with no privacy whatsoever and I'm so awkward and you're their king and-"

Suddenly Thorin was kissing me. I blinked, hands automatically coming up to his shoulders, even as he pulled away. He regarded me, one eyebrow raised and smile playing at his lips. I blushed and smiled back. "Hi."

He smiled and reached up to tug gently at my courting braid. "Better?"

"Yeah."

"Good." He brushed a thumb across my cheek. "Courting on the road like this is not ideal, I know, I am sorry I cannot give you better." I opened my mouth to reassure him, but he shushed me gently, thumb covering my lips. "I'm sure your Uncle will explain our courting customs to you more thoroughly in the coming days, but know this: I wish for you to never be uncomfortable, and that I also honor your customs. It is perhaps not totally customary for us to sleep together, but it is also accepted when on the road. Especially a hazardous road like this one. Protecting your One is amongst the deepest, most instinctual desires of dwarrow, and we can best do that side-by-side and back-to-back. This instinct is especially overwhelming in the first stages of courting. None would ask us to be apart."

For a moment, he looked slightly uncertain, but he kept his thumb on my lips, so I kept quiet.

After gathering his thoughts for a moment, he continued. "I do not know if the instinct is as strong for foundlings-if you will feel it as I do. If you find me… stifling, in the next weeks, you need only say so."

I reached up to take his hand in mine, placing it over my heart. "It pleases me to have you within reach. My challenge, I think, will be keeping my hands to myself when I ought to." My blush, somewhat permanent at this point, returned, but I smiled and shrugged. "Like I said, you're just a bit irresistible, and besides, I can't help but think of the Romans-an ancient civilization of my world that was renowned for their incredible ability to wag war, amongst other things-whose most effective defense was overlapping their shields together like the shell of a tortoise. Making use of their teamwork to create an impenetrable shield wall. I can't help but think of our defense for each other as a variation of that wall, and it is only effective if we stay close."

"I see." He smiled. "I like this, impenetrable overlapping shields." Then his smile turned a bit mischievous, and he suddenly pulled me flush against him with one hand, leaving the other-now trapped between us-on my chest, no doubt feeling the sudden increase in my heartbeat. "As for struggling to keep your hands to yourself, you won't be the only one."

"Oh." I grinned around a small gasp. "Well then."

"Unfortunately, it would be improprietous to… ravish you whilst amongst company, but some affection is to be expected whilst courting. So no need to keep your hands entirely to yourself."

"I have to say, it's a relief to know I won't have to worry as much about offending everyone's sensibilities. I'm less likely to forget myself and do something inappropriate if the line is closer to where I would be embarrassed by having company anyhow."

He grinned, and brushed a featherlight kiss to the corner of my mouth. "We really ought to tidy ourselves and fetch the others, lest you want to put up with their teasing."

"Right," I laughed, "I'm sure adad would have plenty to say if he came back to us both looking so thoroughly ruffled. There's nothing for this though," I traced a fingertip over his kiss-swollen lips. "Then again, you did say the Company left us alone for a reason."

He let out his own laugh then, pressing a chaste kiss to my own swollen lips before pulling away enough to start re-doing the laces of my vest, deft fingers making quick work of straightening my rumpled clothing. I tried to do the same for him, but really he didn't look half so un-put-together, all of his clothes still in place. I plucked at one of his buckles. "Next time."

"Amrâl," Thorin chuckled, "If you wanted to see divested of some layers, all you had to do was say so."

"Next time," I repeated, blushing, "We're trying to pull ourselves together, not get derailed again."

"Very well." He shrugged and winked. "Now turn around so I can brush the dirt off your back. Your father would break my skull if he thought I were rolling with you in the dirt like naughty urchins."

I laughed and turned. "I doubt he'd think first of naughty urchins, but would be no less furious with you."

"Indeed." Thorin gently brushed the dirt from my back, pausing slightly when I shivered as his hands passed over my butt. He didn't comment though, only stepping into me and reaching around to draw me close, his forehead resting on the back of my neck, and hands splayed across my stomach. I placed my hands over his, entwining our fingers.

After a long moment, Thorin pressed a kiss to my neck then stepped away, taking on of my hands in his and leading me toward the trees.

The first dwarrow we found were Fili and Kili, barely far enough away to be considered as giving us privacy. The two were entertaining themselves with some sort of contest, Kili's shooting against Fili's knife throwing, but abandoned it with alacrity as soon as they heard us.

"Uncle!" Fili called out, striding quickly over to wrap Thorin in a hug.

"Auntie!" Kili followed, glomping me enthusiastically even as I blushed and spluttered.

Surprisingly enough, Thorin also blushed, extracting himself from Fili to shove Kili off of me with a grumble. "We've only just started courting, you buffoon."

Kili grinned unrepentantly. "So?"

Thorin rolled his eyes and shoved both Kili and Fili, who was also grinning, in the direction of the trees they were using as targets. "Gather your weapons and help us round up the rest. It is time for dinner and bed."

"Yes Uncle!" Both sing-songed good-naturedly, then set about their task with much whispering, giggling, and nudging. Thorin rolled his eyes again, then put a hand on the small of my back to guide me away from them.

Eventually, we'd found enough of the company that Thorin was satisfied returning to camp, leaving Fili and Kili to find the rest. Bombur and Bilbo, luckily, were amongst the first found, so dinner was already under way when we wandered back into camp accompanied by my adad and Uncle. Both had given the two of us congratulatory hugs and forehead bumps when we'd found them, and I came back into camp next to Thorin, but on adad's arm instead. He was beaming with pride, but I could also see the worry he was trying to hide. Now I had all the more reason to shield Thorin with my life, and would feel that much more pain if I failed.

Like adad though, I tried not to think such dark thoughts. Tonight was for celebrating, we had many days and weeks ahead of us that we could-and would-spend on the worrying.

While the fare was no different than any of our other nights on the road, the mood was indeed festive, everyone laughing, singing, and periodically offering Thorin and me yet more congratulations. Bofur, Nori, Fili, and Kili, even throwing in some good-natured ribbing. 'Auntie' apparently, was just about the greatest joke ever, or my blush in response to Uncle's "my Queen."

This one did get a couple of closer looks at our courting braids from Oin and Gloin, but those looks came also with nods of respect. These dwarrow had no objections to me being not only the partner of their King, but also their Queen, and that settled some of the anxiety festering beneath my sternum. There would be those who were opposed, if we made it through this, but they were faceless advisors and politicians-distant allies and strangers-not friends. Thorin's friends, those dwarrow that would surround him and make up his most trusted advisors, accepted me and would support me.

At some point, just after our meal, Bifur came up to Thorin and I with something cupped in his hands. He muttered something in Khuzdul, and held them out to reveal a beautifully carved pin in the shape of a buckler, with a design on the front that combined Thorin's oak-branch shield, the seven stars of Durin, and the same fire-lily design as my courting bead.

"Oh, Bifur, that's beautiful," I breathed, then remembered to sign it, too. Thorin said something back in Khuzdul, then plucked the pin from Bifur's hands and turned to pin it on my tunic. Bifur grinned as he did so, then signed haltingly in a mix of the limited ASL I'd taught him, and the little iglishmêk I'd managed to learn in return. I got "gift" and what probably meant "courting," but little else, and turned to Thorin helplessly to translate.

"He says that it's a congratulatory gift for our courting, specifically for you as a token of his regard for you as something like kin-akrâgnana'-there is no good translation for it, but he has essentially claimed you as something of a shield-sister. The design is a little of each of us, and a mark also of my house and your future position amongst our people." Thorin's voice was soft, and his eyes a little sad. "Few are as kind to Bifur as you have been."

I traced the pin with my thumb, then reached out to clasp Bifur's hands in my own. My Khuzdul may not have been good enough to understand what he was saying, but it was good enough to offer my thanks. "Akhminruki astû." Bifur beamed, and drew me into a brief hug before patting my shoulder and wandering back over to his brother.

"Why the fire-lily?" I leaned into Thorin's shoulder, reaching up to touch my courting bead. "I meant to ask earlier. What does it mean?"

"Ah." Thorin also reached up to touch the bead, fingering it before placing a kiss on the top of my head. "You are delicately beautiful, and incredibly strong. Deceivingly so. You have a fiery temper, but are also gentle, and kind. The fire-flowers, 'urs nanâg are truly rare, as you, amrâl are givashel, the treasure of all treasures."

I blushed lightly and turned my face into his shoulder, pressing a kiss against it. Then, I couldn't help but giggle.

"What?" Thorin shifted, then lifted my chin to look at my face. "What amuses you about that choice?"

"You know how I said I tripped down a cliff, and that's how I ended up here?" He nodded. "I tripped because I was admiring the fire-lilies blooming along the creek by my house."

He gaped for a moment, then a broad smile spread across his face and he chuckled. "Truly an even more apt choice than I had imagined."